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Angela Cavanaugh

Angela Cavanaugh

Monthly Archives: September 2014

Mention Monday – Ready Player One

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Mention Monday

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

book review, ernist cline, good read, great book, novel, quest, ready player 1, ready player one, review, scifi, the 80s, video game, virtual worlds

Last MM: Writers of the Future Contest

Ready Player One | [Ernest Cline]

This past week I finished reading, or more accurately, listening to, Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline.   I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book.

“In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. 

But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade’s going to survive, he’ll have to win—and confront the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.“

The story line is a combination of an MMO, 80’s nostalgia, futuristic scifi, and a splash of dystopia.

NO SPOILERS – just my impressions of the storytelling.

Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction Friday – Grown

27 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Fiction

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

clone, dystopian, fiction, flash, flash fiction, human parts, read, scifi, short story, transplant, very short story

Last Week’s FFF: Clank Part 3

 

FoglihtenNo07calt

“We got another one!” I yelled.

On the porch, I tore open the plastic wrap and inspected the goods.  The fully grown male body appeared to be completely intact.  But we wouldn’t know for certain until we opened it up.

My husband stumbled out from the front door.  He looked a lot like the man in the wrapping, only, where this one was young and fit, my husband was thin and frail.  His skin had taken on a yellow tone, and his eyes were bloodshot.

“Is it good this time?” he asked.

“So far.  There’s no obvious deformations.  I’m just glad they sent us a new one at no cost.”

I rolled the man on his back.  His breathing was shallow.  Beside him, taped to the pallet was a pill.  I inserted it into his mouth, and after a moment he awoke.

He stood and stared with a blank expression.  He may have had my husbands eyes, but I could tell he didn’t share a soul.

These clones were grown for one reason only: parts.  They grew at substantially accelerated rates, and were lobotomized at the expulsion from their artificial womb. This made them easier to work with.

I coerced it into a a standing position.

“Ready?” I asked my husband.

He smiled.  It was the first time I had seen him do so with any authenticity since the last man showed up.  He had hope.

I took my husband and the organ donor to the hospital, where the doctor was already prepped and waiting.

I knew that the clone wouldn’t survive the surgery.  But my husband would.

I didn’t feel bad for it. I don’t care what the label said, these things weren’t really human. How could I feel bad about killing something that never knew it was alive?

 

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Writing Wednesday – Don’t Let Draft Differences Get You Down

24 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Writing Wednesday

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

advice, doubt, drafts, fear, how to, how to write, keep on going, self-doubt, writer, writing

Last Week’s WW: Lists

I had expressly planned to enter the Writer’s of the Future Contest again.  Not because there was anything wrong with it, just because I was working on other things and figured it’d always be there.  But, when I got word that I had received an Honorable Mention, I decided to go for it.    Continue reading →

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Flash Fiction Friday – Clank, Part 3

20 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Fiction

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

combined effort, continuation, flash fiction, part three, robot, short story, story

Last Week’s FFF: Isolation Part 2

title

Clank, Part 1

Clank, Part 2

The processor in my head sputtered as the I reeled from the old man’s whack.  Whatever I thought I had remembered was gone now.  Worse, my equilibrium betrayed me, and I stumbled.  I stepped back, hard.  Hard enough to produce an muffled clank.  This room was metal beneath the carpet.

“Do you know who I am?” the old man asked again.  Continue reading →

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Writing Wednesday – Lists

19 Friday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Writing Wednesday

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Tags

advice, concepts, don't forget, fire, how to, how to write, ideas, keep it going, list, lists, passion, writer, writing

Last Week’s WW:  Pushing Through

Okay, so, I know it Thursday.   I’ve been really busy lately trying to find a new survival job.  At the end of this week, I will be technically unemployed.  I had 4 interviews yesterday.  I had some the day before and some today.  Couple that with applying to places online, and the stress of being broke, and you can hopefully understand why this post was late.  I was even worried enough to accept a temp assignment next week.  I have to find a way to pull myself out of bed at 7:30am (I went to bed at 4am last night) and work a 40 hour week.  Yuck.  In addition, I condemned myself to working 8 days in a row.  Training tomorrow, my last 2 days at the restaurant this weekend, then 5 day work week.  For an unemployed person, I sure feel like I’ve got no time.

And that feeling right there can be the productivity killer.  Reality is, I do have time.  I might be stressed and tired, but I have time.

On the flip side, I keep thinking of new stories that I want to write. Continue reading →

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Writing Company

18 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

My dog decided to give me some company while I write. He does this often, usually settling in under my desk. But I convinced him to lay next to it. Sometimes he is such a good dog ❤️

IMG_3883.JPG

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Mention Monday – Writers of the Future Contest

16 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Mention Monday

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

author, award, awards, contest, honorable mention, l ron hubbard, mention monday, writer, writers of the future, writing

Earlier today I received an email telling me that my short story Human Network won an Honorable Mention in the L. Ron Hubbard Writer’s of the Future Contest.  From what I’ve been able to research, that means that my story was better than about 10% of thousands of entries.   I’m definitely going to enter again.

They hold 4 contests each year, 1 every quarter.  It’s open to stories up to 17,000 words in length.  They also have an illustrator contest.  Winners receive $1000, $750, or $500, and there’s an annual grand prize of an additional $5000.   Those winners are also invited to attend a workshop by Orson Scott Card (at least, he was part of it last year) and the other writers involved in the organization.

Additionally, they have an awards ceremony.  You might recall me posting about it before when I attended the last one.   It was swanky and fun.

This contest is free to enter.  One entry per quarter.  If you win (no HM, but win win), you can’t enter again.  But it seems like a great way to get started, get knowledge, and get connections.  So, if you’ve got a short story you’ve been sitting on, or are thinking about whipping one up, go for it.  This quarter ends Sept 30, and the new ‘year’ begins Oct 1st.

And now I’ve got an accomplishment.  🙂

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Flash Fiction Friday – Isolation, Part 2

13 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Fiction

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

alone, bright light, challenge, chamber, chuck wendig, flash fiction, isolation, mystery, part two, read, short story, terrible minds, terribleminds

Last Week’s FFF: Bionic

title

(Isolation, Part 1)

Bright, yellow light filled the windowless room.  Ted raised his hand to shield his eyes from it’s brightness.  He waited anxious moments for someone to enter the room and tell him that the experiment was finally over.

As he waited, he was filled with both great relief and murderous rage.  It had been five hundred days since he’d last seen or talked to another person.   It wasn’t what he had signed up for.  Not exactly.  He wasn’t sure if he was going to hug or strangle whomever came through that door.   Continue reading →

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22 Short Scifi Stories, in the Flesh

13 Saturday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Fiction

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Book, flash fiction, proof, proof copy, publishing, scifi, self-publishing

I got the proof version of my book today.  Soon, it’ll be available in the physical form.  Also, the audio recordings are coming along well.  Can’t wait for that to be ready, too 🙂

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Writing Wednesday – Pushing Through

10 Wednesday Sep 2014

Posted by angelacavanaugh in Writing Wednesday

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

block, fear, persistance, writer, writing

Last Week’s WW: Nobody’s Perfect

Lately I’ve been having trouble concentrating on writing.

Let’s face it.  Sometimes writing can be overwhelming.  It’s fun, it’s exciting, but sometimes, it can feel like an uphill battle that will never end.

Continue reading →

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